latin and greek paper 2 - Clint Deskins Franklin Delano...

Clint DeskinsFranklin Delano Roosevelt is one of the greatest American presidents in the history of the United States. Known for his programs instilled during the Great Depression and his three terms served during World War II. FDR is also known for his public speaking abilities. His speech skills played a major part in his being elected as president. If the people of the United States would have known of his increasingly chronic case of polio he would most likely not have been elected to office. FDR was a very influential speaker and had a broad vocabulary. This is shown in his speech given after the Japanese attack on the U.S. Naval Base of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Roosevelt’s speech motivated the American people and influenced Congress to declare war on Japan allowing the United States to enter World War II. The following paragraphs will take a more in depth look at some of the words and phrases Roosevelt used in his address to Congress. This paper will define to words used and the etymologies of these words, as well as why Roosevelt may have chosen these words and how they affect the speech. “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941- a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan”(americanrhetoric.com). This quote is taken from the speech President Franklin Delano Roosevelt presented to Congress after the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces. When one hears this speech the phrase of, “a date which will live in infamy”, seems to strike the listener and obtain their attention. As one takes a look at this statement it appears that the word “infamy” is what seems to bring emphasis to the statement. Why would Roosevelt choose this word? After all it doesn’t appear to

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be a big extravagant word that seems too complicated for any ordinary person’s vocabulary. If one was to look up infamy in the Oxford English Dictionary or OED they would find three definitions. With the first being: “Evil fame or reputation; scandalous repute; public reproach, shame, or disgrace.” The second: “The quality or character of being infamous or of shameful vileness; an infamous or utterly disgraceful act.” The last definition is: “the loss of all or certain of the rights of a citizen, consequent on conviction of certain crimes”(infamy)So back to the question that was brought up earlier. Why did Roosevelt choose this word? One can assume that even though infamy is not a very extravagant complex

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